Wilmslow car parking prices look set to increase

wilmslowcarpark

Cheshire East Council is proposing to increase the charges for parking in their off-street car parks from early next year.

The Council has conducted a review of its current arrangements and as a result it is proposing an increase in parking charges of either 10p or 20p to each tariff in its pay and display car parks.

Additionally they are proposing to remove parking incentives including 'Free after 3pm' which was in operation in Spring Street car park but seems to have already been removed.

If implemented the charges for parking in Wilmslow car parks would go up 10p in Broadway Meadow (to 60p for one hour and £1.10 for two hours), Wilmslow Leisure Centre (to £1.10 for up to 3 hours), Spring Street (to 80p for one hour and £1.20 for two hours), The Carrs (to 30p for one hour and 60p for two to three hours) and The Rex and South Drive (to 70p for one hour and £1.10 for two hours).

A report prepared for next week's Environment and Regeneration Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting states "Parking charges have, in the main, not changed over the last 10 years or so. If charges had increased by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) since 2007 the income to the Council would be £1,209,438 higher in 2016/17."

It is estimated that annual income from pay and display parking would be increased by about £220,000 per annum if the proposed parking increases are approved.

The report continues "The overall purpose of this proposal to amend parking charges is to ensure that the Council can continue to provide suitable, adequate, safe and well maintained parking provision."

Approval for the proposals will be sought from Cabinet on October 10th, if approved all the proposals would be subject to a public consultation from mid December to mid January with a view to implementing them in February 2018.

Tags:
Broadway Meadow Car Park, Car Parking Review, Rex Car Park, South Drive Car Park, Spring Street Car Park
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Comments

Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.

Jonathan Follows
Wednesday 13th September 2017 at 4:49 pm
Ha - as I thought, if I may be so immodest as to say!
When the council increased our tax by 3.99% last time - http://bit.ly/2wZsj7L - an increase the the parking charges was explicitly excluded from the plan. I suggested then that this was simply a ruse to enable them to be increased later in the financial year when some further hole in the finances was discovered.
To be fair, the financial situation of any council, including ours, is always precarious.
This increase was always going to happen, in January it was an option under consideration but "not currently put forward for implementation".
Barry Stafford
Wednesday 13th September 2017 at 4:52 pm
Absolutely disgraceful..What do they need the extra £220,000 for Pay-offs to senior officers who leave. Bramhall is 40p for 2 hours. Knutsford 80p for 2 hours This can be claimed back at Booths supermarket. Handforth Dean NIL!! Aldi Knutsford NIL!! Lidl Summerfields NIL!! The council employ one Warden in Wilmslow. They also make a lot of money with Penalty tickets. I would like to see a breakdown of Costs and revenue. How can small businesses survive.Two more have gone ,in Hawthorn Lane, in August. This is a crazy way to encourage shoppers.
Laurie Atterbury
Wednesday 13th September 2017 at 5:03 pm
I think CEC are on to a winner here. You can't travel far to do your shopping because of the roadworks all over the place so you end up stuck in Wilmslow.
Julian Barlow
Wednesday 13th September 2017 at 5:30 pm
Cheshire East Council-Kicking small businesses to death since 2009.
Bob Bracegirdle
Wednesday 13th September 2017 at 5:42 pm
My pension doesn't go up. Interesting.
Brian McGavin
Wednesday 13th September 2017 at 6:43 pm
Wilmslow is now experiencing increasing day parking on suburban side streets from office workers trying to avoid parking charges, often causing dangerous visual obstructions for residents using their car. The council is set on increasing office development and is discouraging use of car parks by increased charges. This is stupid policy and needs more car parking capacity built for the office development and incentivising lower parking charges to stop the ever larger number of commuters parking for nothing in suburban streets.
Nick Jones
Wednesday 13th September 2017 at 7:57 pm
Handforth Dean... Free..

How is this helping bring people into Wilmslow ?? or encourage local businesses ??
Sends out a great message before XMAS for local business doesnt it ??
If its not Lyme Green its Double Yellow lines... Absolutely Pathetic... but to be expected from the myopic entity of CEC... No wonder it has been referred to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government to be put into Special Measures. I think some should be put in public Stocks .. and that would be worth paying for.
This council hemorrhages cash on its inane projects, always considering themselves before their electorate and the very town they should be supporting. Shameful.!
Nick Jones
Wednesday 13th September 2017 at 8:03 pm
@ Brian.... CEC and its Cllrs were told by residents in its random thoughtless daubing of Yellow lines that this will merely displace the problem.... They never intended to look for a solution.... and never intended listening to residents.... Just like the Local Plan.
Pete Taylor
Wednesday 13th September 2017 at 9:25 pm
Any comment from our CEC "representatives"?

No?

Tick, tock...
Anne Greenhalgh
Thursday 14th September 2017 at 12:06 am
What next? Put a sign on the edge of town stating 'Welcome to Wilmslow, please expect huge car park prices, generic shops because they have lost the plot on individual retailers who won't step foot here due to extortionate rents. When I was a teenager growing up here we would go out after lunch & spend the rest of the afternoon shopping in the interesting shops but now I only go down for necessities which is rare. The heart has been ripped out of my home town!
Simon Atkins
Thursday 14th September 2017 at 7:35 am
Wow, you're just KILLING businesses in Wilmslow, Cheshire East Council. You want to drive up business then you need to REDUCE/Make Free the parking - not increase. Look at Handforth as an example.
DELETED ACCOUNT
Thursday 14th September 2017 at 8:22 am
To be fair to Cheshire East they seem to be increasing car parking fees in every town and not just Wilmslow. They argue that they have a "town centre first" policy, but do this whilst keeping out of town shopping centres, like Handforth Dean, free of charge. The funniest and saddest thing I have heard is a Cabinet member say that relocating Cheshire Archives from Chester to Crewe - will increase footfall in Crewe. You really couldn't make this up - it is straight from a Monty Python sketch or from the tv programme W1A.
Mark Goldsmith
Thursday 14th September 2017 at 9:11 am
Only in the double speak land of Cheshire East would an "Environment and Regeneration Overview" ever think that higher parking fees will regenerate Wilmslow town centre.

Still, I'm sure our local Conservative councillors at Cheshire East will convey our thoughts and resist this.

Like they did with the Local Plan.

Oh wait a minute...
Manuel Golding
Thursday 14th September 2017 at 10:35 am
Yet another clear example of this rotten borough's myopic thoughts process (I know it really doesn't think). Increasing parking charges will have an immediate reaction - even more all day street parking to the inconvenience of even residential roads etc. These all day parkers bring their filth & rubbish (bags, fish & chip & sandwich containers, drink cans, fag ends & packets and more, often followed by abusive language when asked to take their filth home) But of course, this rotten borough council is only interested in grabbing more brass to pay its ever increasing over the top salaries to its third rate senior officers (sorry folks, I realise third rate officers is being rather generous!) and not concerned with solving the day parking nightmare that is engulfing us.
A suggestion - how about more residential roads being made "Access Only" (to residents) or
"Residents Only" zones. Of course this will mean the council having to provide proper & enough All Day car parks or demand that all employers with over, say, 8 staff to provide its own parking or pay to go on car parks? How about Park & Ride? I know of a couple of sites where the exctra income would be gratefully received but this rotten borough will say "We cannot afford for the Ride element? Funny, but it prefers to screw the residents and waste our money on over inflated salaries to third rate senior officers. Are these thoughts too much to ask both the council & employers? If so, why pray tell us council?
Jon Newell
Monday 18th September 2017 at 7:39 pm
If the Council levied fines on all those parking illegally at the Nat West end of Grove Street, they would not need to raise any charges. Why not set up a camera if they refuse to adequately staff the enforcement team. Easy win.
If they are still short of revenue, they could supplement the revenues by penalising those who habitually park on the double yellow lines at the entrance to the Waitrose delivery area.
Manuel Golding
Tuesday 19th September 2017 at 1:48 pm
Good thinking, Jon.
Nick Jones
Tuesday 19th September 2017 at 2:57 pm
I note this is also happening in Sandbach and Nantwich... This is a CEC cash grab.... nothing more nothing less..... Myopic Incompetent Cllrs at their very best, and we have no shortage of them.... CEC Lemmings will undoubtedly vote this in after ignoring public / local business objections.... So just like the local plan really !.
David Hoyle
Tuesday 19th September 2017 at 6:57 pm
Yes Jon,also those who park blocking footpath by Coach and Four to Kings arms roundabout every day.I've reported it to the police twice,they said they are dealing with it.
Jonathan Follows
Friday 22nd September 2017 at 12:41 pm
Well, I live close to the Coach and Four, I don't know about the people parking on the pavements but outside my house (short-term parking but many people obviously park all day) I've seen ticketing both today and on Wednesday. For the first time in weeks if not months I must say. Maybe someone is actively addressing the issue for the first time?